The Executive Director of the Young Women’s Actions for Rights, Peace and Development (YWARPD) in Paynesville, Ms. Marcelyn Allison has expressed the intention of her organization to establish Youth Democracy Parliaments in Montserrado, Grand Bassa and Bong Counties to allow young people to engage on issues relating to democratic governance, local governance processes, accountability and human rights issues.
Ms Allison told a visiting delegation of the National Endowment for Democracy that the Young Women’s Actions for Rights, Peace and Development played a pivotal role in mobilizing first time voters to engage during the 2023 Liberian elections and said that establishing Youth Democracy Parliaments in Montserrado, Grand Bassa and Bong Counties will source opportunities for young people, particularly young women to actively participate in political decision making processes in those areas.
She made the remarks when two senior members of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Dr Jude Mutah and Chris O’Conner recently paid a courtesy visit at the office of YWARPD in Paynesville City, Liberia where both parties held fruitful discussions with the Program Management Team.
During the visit, Ms. Marcelyn Allison, Executive Director of YWARPD briefed the visiting NED executives on the implementation of a project awarded the group by the NED titled, “Young Democrat Project: Mobilizing First Time Voters to Support Democracy Values and Espouse Free and fair Elections”
The project which came on the heels of the 2023 Presidential election in Liberia was designed to amplify the voices and roles of first-time voters and ensure their meaningful participation in democratic initiatives in Liberia.
The project implementation spanned over a period of one-year (July 2023-July 2024) with several activities including a First-time Voters’ Conference, a Civic Education Campaign designed for First Time voters, Engagement between first time voters and political parties, as well as First-time Voters’ Engagements with Representative Aspirants in eight of Montserrado County’s seventeen (17) Districts; activities also included the setting up of Democracy Club across Montserrado County.
Ms. Allison, who was full of commendation for NED’s support to her organization for this milestone initiative, explained how the project elevated the voices of first-time voters, especially young females.
it was then that she spoke about her organization’s intention to extend the democracy clubs to Grand Bassa and Bong counties and to establish Youth Democracy Parliaments in Montserrado, Grand Bassa and Bong Counties to allow young people to engage on issues relating to democratic governance, local governance processes, accountability and human rights issues.
For their part, the two officials from NED commended YWARPD for successfully implementing its first project with NED, and hope that their exemplary way of handling the project could speak well for them in the future.
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